Italy is 40 percent mountainous. Source: How Stuff Works

Geography: 

• Italy is 1,130 kilometers long and has an area of approximately 301,238 square kilometers.
• It is famously known for being the shape of a boot.
• Switzerland, France, Austria, and Slovenia borders Italy.
• Italy is known for its mountains, volcanoes, beaches, and islands.
  • The Alps is one of the most well-known mountains which begins in North Africa and run throughout Europe.
  • Known volcanoes are Vulcano, Stromboli, Vesuvius, and Etna.
  • There are islands made of limestone or volcanic ash.
• The country is 40 percent mountainous.
• Italy contains seven different climate systems.

The Dolomites is a range of mountains in the northeastern portion of the Italian Alps. Source: La Gazzetta Italiana

Mount Vesuvius Source: How Stuff Works

The Island of Capri Source: Touropedia

Overall Demographics:

• Italy’s population in 2018 is 59,271,385.
•  4th most populous country in Europe (after France, the United Kingdom, and Germany) and the 23rd most populous in the world.
• There are over 5 million foreign residents in Italy today, which accounts for 7.5% of the total population.
• The largest ethnic group in Italy is the Native Italian which consists of 96% of the population.
• There are close to 1 million Romanian citizens officially registered in Italy, followed by Moroccans and Albanians with a population of half a million each.
• The official language is Italian, while there are a variety of areas that use primarily German, French, and Slovene.
• The median age of Italy is currently at 45.5 years of age, with a total life expectancy of 82 years.
• Currently, the death rate is faster than the birth rate, with 1,673  documented deaths per day, compared to 1,353 births per day.

Italy Population Density Source: World Population Review

Disability Statistics on Population (Info dated from 2009):

• There are 2,609,000 individuals with a disability in Italy which is about 4.8 percent of the population over the age of 6 and is living with their family.
• There are 42,460 children aged 0-5 years with a disability which is about 1.32 percent of the population.
• It is estimated that the number of disabled or elderly people living in an Assisted Health Residence is 190,134.
• Disability is related to age with 18.7% of the population over 65 and the percentage rises to 44.5% (35.8% men and 48.8% women) for the population over 80 years old.
• Due to having a longer life expectancy, women are more likely to have a disability at 6.1 percent versus men’s 3.3 percent.

Models of Disability Most Common:

• Italy’s Framework law for assistance, social integration and the rights of handicapped people. defines a “handicapped person who has a physical, psychological or sensorial, stabilized or progressive disability, which causes difficulties in learning, relationships or work integration, and which leads to a process of social disadvantage or marginalization.”
•  Italy provides disability assessments classified as civil invalidity, civil blindness, deafness or disability.
• Benefits offered in Italy:
  • Tax concession on vehicles
  • Tax relief and free shipping on items needed due to disability
  • Technical and IT grants for computer items for individuals with disabilities
  • Tax relief for housekeepers and caregivers
  • Tax deductions for dependent family members
  • Telephone and internet benefits for individuals who are deaf, blind, or have a disability
  • Access to health care, medication, and prosthesis aids
  • Paid leave, early retirement, and choice of workplace for individuals with disabilities
  • Individuals can submit a Contribution for the elimination of barriers in the home

Society’s Perceptions:

• Many Italian families create a stigma about individuals with disabilities.
•  15 percent of the country’s families include a disabled person, according to surveys, only 2 percent of Italians report going to school with a disabled person and only 4 percent work with one.
• Despite policy changes, Italian companies are afraid of hiring disabled people.

Sources: